The Pursuit of Heroes
by MissMarifire
Summary: Amidst their budding alliance with Múspell, two Emblian generals are assigned a task by Princess Veronica. Crosspost from Archive of Our Own.
1. Chapter 1: Generals Prepare

"...With their primary source of supplies cut, Nifl will quickly weaken," The Emblian general tapped his index finger upon one of the maps laid out on the table, gliding it north towards an illustration depicting the ice kingdom of Nifl. "While it is unwise to attack neutral territory, removing their major import of arms and armor is certain to ensure our victory and alliance with Múspell."

His companion, an elderly woman, sipped upon her tea as she gave a low chuckle. "Oh, absolutely, my dear Valentino. With Nidavel gone, Nifl will easily break under the pressure," she placed her cup onto its plate, sitting on the table. "However, I fear our Askran enemies are close on our trail. It is only a matter of time before they arrive to Nifl's aid."

Valentino placed his free hand upon his chin. "From the plans I reviewed with the princess, it should buy us enough time with more to spare in preparing the invasion of Nifl," he thought aloud. "Princess Veronica wishes to push an assault on the Askran summoning grounds. If they succeed, then we will have successfully incapacitated the Order of Heroes of their source of power; If they fail, however, it is simply more time bought for us to continue our efforts towards the northern countries."

The woman raised a brow at her fellow general. "Who is at the helm of Princess Veronica's little party? Giovanni?"

"No, I recall our princess having assigned General Faustina the mission. I don't believe Princess Veronica has made preparations for this mission yet, however."

Her brow lowered in distaste. The general stood up from her seat, taking a moment to stretch before glancing into the nearby window. From outside, the decorative braziers lit the castle grounds in an orange glow amongst the darkness of dusk, its light seeping into the room. "Humph. I was anticipating she'd finally let that fat bastard of a man on the field for once instead of letting him blabber our heads off with useless bravado, but I _suppose_ we'd rather prefer having as little losses as possible."

"Come now, Columbina. Perhaps he will command a skirmish to Vana where he'll drink himself to death amongst the spirits and the women," Valentino jested, giving a low chuckle amidst Columbina's sudden cackling laughter, the woman banging her fist upon the table.

"Please, as if any woman would dare think about voluntarily approaching the man, let alone bed him!"

As the two laughed between one another, the nearby door opened. Princess Veronica entered the room, her face holding a rather disdainful expression. From such an sight, the two generals immediately ceased their amusement in the presence of the princess. As she approached the table, her eyes narrowed as they trailed up and down the maps, studying the notes her generals had previously wrote. "Excellent. I will have General Celeste and General Faustina study these tactics and handle this from here."

The violet-clad general looked upon the princess in confusion. "But what of us?" he asked her. "We were assigned to strategize our plans for the assault against Nidavel. For what reason are we being replaced in this task?"

"I've changed my mind. You two have something different to do," she answered. "Go to the World of Mystery- Columbina, to the World of Binding and of Blazing. Conquer them once more, and find for me the greatest Heroes you can muster- greater than the likes we've obtained thus far," she commanded. "Make haste. You have a month's time."

"A month's time, to conquer a world? Are you mad, child?" General Columbina squawked. "No, we require three."

"I am not a child, Columbina, _I am a full-grown woman_!" the little girl snapped. "The Order of Heroes have been sweeping through world after world in one month's time and I expect for you to reconquer at an even more swift pace," she continued, moving from the table towards the door. "I eagerly await your results- I have been told that the Askrans have now nearly taken the World of Birthright."

"Yes, your Royal Highness," the two generals spoke in unison.

"Good. Now, then-" Princess Veronica left the room as she called for her favorite Hero. "Prince Xander, it is nearly tea time! I would greatly appreciate _NOT_ having tea time with Berkut again!"

After they watched the princess depart, Valentino rolled the previous maps and notes up neatly, slipping them back into their respective cases before returning them to their respective compartments in the nearby wall. He glossed about until finding two specific cases to replace them. Bringing them to the table, he laid the parchments out- one labeled "Archanea"; the other, "Elibe"- before swiftly returning to the wall-mounted library to pluck various historical records on both of the continents and bringing them to the table. Picking up a book on Archanean history, Valentino's fingers danced as he leafed through its pages to search for a place to start.

"The greatest Heroes of their worlds, hm?" the mage-general hummed. "Columbina, remind me- when we had previously conquered Archanea, who was it that we had contracted?"

"The Hero-King, Marth- although, if I may be honest, for a Hero-King, he was more of a Zero-King," she joked. "Surely, there must be greater Heroes from his world- I've recalled him being so disliked that he's never been given the privilege by our Askran foes to participate in their festivities!"

"Marth… hm." he muttered to himself, stopping at a particular page. "From Archanea, I will seek King Michalis of Macedon, and Camus, the leader of the Sable Order of Knights of Grust."

Valentino then looked to Columbina. "How familiar are you with Elibe?"

"Valentino, my dear, I was the general in charge of the assault on Elibe- _twice_."

"Then you will have no problem with finding the heroes we need. The heroes you seek for our assistance in Elibe will be to your discretion." He said to his companion. "I trust your senility won't get the better of you."

Columbina laughed. "To make such an assumption, Valentino! I'll be fine, rest assured. Why, I already have someone in mind, the most perfect peach to pluck from Elibe's tree of Heroes," she motioned her hand up and down before letting out a drawn-out yawn. "Now then, to bed I must go. Give King Michalis the warmest of hellos for your dearest friend, Columbina, would you?"

The mage-general let out a hum of amusement, watching as his comrade prepared to leave the room. "Indeed, I will."

"Then may the ancient god-dragon Embla protect you, dear friend."


	2. Chapter 2: Pegasus Generals

Unlike his comrade, Valentino was a nocturnal man: he embraced the dark, basking upon the moon's instilling glow. While Columbina's day had ended, General Valentino's had merely just begun. Taking the historical records on Archanea with him, he departed from the study.

The mage-general's iridescent cape glittered in a rainbow of warm colors against the candlelight that lit the imperial halls. Passing corridor to corridor, his ghostly stride allowed him to glide effortlessly across the floor. Thoughts and ideas trickled from his burdened mind, attempting to piece together his plans. To infiltrate the World of Mystery, Archanea, and to convince Michalis, the tyrant-king of Macedon, and Camus, Leader of the Sable Knights, to join their ranks among Embla's many contracted Heroes… it was not a completely impossible feat, as they had convinced many others from their world to, but Valentino believed it would be a difficult one indeed. Lost in thoughts, however, there was something rather blatant that he did not realize.

Coming from the nearby corridor was someone who was charging right at him. Without being given a moment to react, they bumped into him, the perpetrator dropping to the floor as their belongings had as well. Valentino, on the other hand, was taken aback in recoil but otherwise entirely unharmed.

Glancing down before him was an initiate pegasus knight. With one hand near a light bruise, they winced from the blow to their forehead while they attempted to gather their scattered belongings. "G-Ghah! Watch where you're going you stupid moron! I have things to do, places to be!" they hissed. After looking at whom it was they bumped into, however, they had an immediate change of tone. With a haphazard salute, the color in their face drained. "G-General Valentino! I must apologize…"

Valentino glared at upon the initiate in disapproval. "Is this how you treat your superiors? How most unfortunate," he glared at them, raising a hand towards the initiate as if to prepare an incantation- complete with sparks flying from his fingertips. "Such grave misconduct will lead to grave punishments. Perhaps I may flay you alive and feed your remains to the wyverns? General Columbina always appreciates treats for her darling pets, after all."

The initiate's eyes widened in fear, their mouth gaping upon the sight of his magic. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" they quickly cried, tears rolling down their cheek. "I didn't mean to, I didn't know it was you! Just please, spare me!"

The mage-general grunted, ceasing his incantation before lowering his hand behind his cape. "You cower as easily as your bravado inflates your ego. Go. Do _not_ make the same mistake again," he warned. "Should your fatuity persist, I will ensure that there will be nothing left of you to report."

The pegasus knight quickly nodded shortly before scrambling themself up off the floor and sprinting away. Valentino sighed, shaking his head as he watched the initiate disappear from the distance. "I will need to inquire my lieutenants about this," he noted to himself. "The nerve, to treat their own general with such glowing disrespect."

Resuming his journey through the castle halls, Valentino attempted to realign his train of thought after that incident. Having previously lead conquests within the World of Mystery, he was well-versed in Archanean history - and in his obsessive thirst for knowledge, he continued to study the lands and the heroes who came from them.

King Michalis. A patricidal tyrant who sought to usurp his father's throne through murder in cold blood, it would be both ironic and yet befitting to consider him devoted to his country and his family. His tyranny was not out of madness, no, it was his drive to bring the impoverished and famine-stricken Macedon into a golden age, to see it flourish. Despite his efforts for his country, however, he would only further deepen his country's wounds. Some accounts after the War of Shadows described his blood shed upon the battlefield by none other than his sister, Minerva; others recall him aiding Marth's army in the War of Heroes. Valentino had always been amused of such a tragic story as Michalis's, envying him of his platonic devotion- one that his own siblings had lacked thereof. Should he seek to recruit Michalis, he could potentially use his love for his family to his advantage. After all, a tragedy is not a tragedy without drama- and what better way to pluck at this heartbroken brother's sullied heartstrings than to use one of his own sisters as a bargaining chip against him? His sisters may have already been freed of their contracts, but in their disappearance, he could use it as leverage.

Camus, on the other hand, was less straightforward. Once the leader of the fearsome Sable Knights of Grust, he was able to slip from the grips of death and live a new life in Valentia before returning to Archanea once more. He concluded that convincing him to join Embla's side would prove to be a far more difficult challenge. Still, for both Heroes, timing would be everything.

As he approached the Pegasus Wing of the Emblian castle, one of his lieutenants approached him- a tall, lithe woman. She cleared her throat before speaking. "General Valentino."

Valentino turned his head towards her, continuing his path down the corridor. His lieutenant followed likewise. "Lieutenant Gardenia."

"Some of my men have reported that there may be another Askran spy in our midst."

"Another? See to it that this spy is taken care of by any means you see fit," Valentino told his lieutenant. "Do remind me, Lieutenant: what has become of our last spy- the gregarious Marquess Emil?"

"Marquess Emil has been imprisoned for his crimes, his properties seized by the Empire. His execution is a mere fortnight away. Will you attend?"

"I am afraid I cannot, Lieutenant. Princess Veronica has bestowed a task upon me that requires my undivided attention," Valentino declined. "It is a shame. I recall the lavish parties he held after our Emperor's passing... such extravagant generosity from someone who gave the same to our foe was too good to be true," he commented, pausing for a moment to take note of the current time. "To watch the last of his life leave his eyes would be simply delicious, but such a dire request from the Princess herself may allow us to partake as the audience in Askr's execution in the future."

"Then may I arrange for Lieutenant Natalia to transcribe his death for you?" she offered, gesturing her hand. "I recall you complimenting her for her peculiar writing."

The mage-general nodded his head, giving a rather bemused smile. "Oh, absolutely. Had it not been for this war, Natalia would've made herself fit for a legendary author in how she details the execution of our foes," Valentino mused, but it was not long before he returned to a colder expression. Time was of the essence, and although he was enjoying the company of his lieutenant, he had greater matters at hand. "Before I depart: see to it that behavioral discipline is put into effect in our initiates' training regiments. The tempers of our soldiers must be tempered, lest we fall to our own folly."

The lieutenant raised a brow, looking at her general with uncertainty. "What do you mean, General?"

"Our initiates are unruly. Why, one was spouting foul language to their own general merely an hour ago! Not even Giovanni's cavalry initiates are as abhorrent."

The lieutenant paused, pursing her lips. "I apologize, General. Rest assured, our pegasus knights will be equal to our own discipline before your return."

"Hmph. Very well then. I will be putting my faith upon you and your fellow lieutenants. If their behavior isn't resolved, I will see to it that _you_ will be resolved of your ill-fitting position. You are dismissed," Valentino said to his lieutenant before departing once more.

The Pegasus Wing: a colossal area home to the Emblian Empire's most esteemed pegasus knights - including General Valentino and his lieutenant generals.

Up a sprawling staircase and through hallway to hallway, he was met with two familiar faces: Lieutenant Generals Cygnus and Sagitta, sitting patiently in the candlelit war room. With greetings exchanged between general and lieutenant generals, Valentino placed historical records and books upon the table before sitting himself down.

"Princess Veronica has tasked upon us to seek two powerful men from Archanea," the general flipped through one of the books, stopping at two particular pages. "King Michalis of Macedon and Camus of the Grustian Sable Knights. She has given us a month's time to find them and bind them by contract to serve Embla."

Immediately, Sagitta began to sign in protest. "Insisting to attempt such a feat within a month's time is foolish."

"Indeed, but Princess Veronica is unwilling to allocate any further time," Valentino elaborated. "The intelligence General Celeste's scouts have provided us shows that the Order of Heroes are currently preoccupied in 'saving' the World of Birthright. To our advantage, should they return within a fortnight's time, they will temporarily cease conquest to observe an Askran holiday. While they are lollygagging, it should provide us with ample time for us to carry out our mission."

Cygnus rested his hand upon his chin. "But why not simply strike them while they are distracted?" he proposed. "There is no sense in allowing them to idle. Gathering more Heroes may help, but what point is there in doing so when the Askrans may be using their time as a ploy to train and prepare themselves?"

As Valentino rose his hand and prepared to speak, Sagitta tapped her hand on the table to direct their attention to her. Valentino then lowered his hand to allow his other lieutenant to comment. "The Askrans are not as clever as you are lead to believe," her hand gestures were forceful, as if Cygnus annoyed her. "Our numbers have been stretched thin. If we were to strike now, we'll be the ones to lose."

"Maybe so. But I'm still certain there might be more under their sleeve than we think. If we are to approach the Princess's order, we must be cautious."

"Hm… that is true, Sagitta."

Valentino nodded. "The both of you, prepare a squadron of soldiers each and rejoin with me at the Gate of Mystery."

"Only a mere squadron?" Cygnus argued.

"We're searching for two Heroes, not leveling the entire continent. Sagitta, ask of General Celeste to assign some of her clerics to the squadron. She will understand."


End file.
